Greater Des Moines Partnership named 2026 Chamber of the Year. The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives just handed the Greater Des Moines Partnership its highest honor, recognizing the region's collaborative approach to economic and talent development. A great reminder of how much behind-the-scenes work goes into keeping our region growing.

The world is coming to Des Moines this week. Greater Des Moines is hosting the AAU Junior Olympic Games, bringing more than 14,000 young athletes, coaches, and families to town for the largest multi-sport youth event in the country. It's a huge economic and community moment for the metro — and a fun one to catch in person if you can.

📚 Let Kids Teach for Two Minutes:
After finishing homework or reading, ask your child to "teach" you what they just learned in two minutes. Teaching forces the brain to organize information, making it easier to remember.

🎯 Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results:
Instead of saying, "Great job getting an A," try, "I'm proud of how hard you studied." Praising effort encourages resilience and a growth mindset when challenges arise.

📝 Write Tomorrow's Top Three Tonight:
Before bed, have your child write the three most important tasks for tomorrow. Starting the day with a clear plan reduces stress and helps them focus on what matters first.

🚶 Review While Moving:
Practice spelling words, multiplication facts, or vocabulary while taking a short walk or tossing a ball. Light movement can improve attention and make review sessions more engaging.

❤️ Create a 'Mistake of the Day' Habit:
Each evening, share one mistake you made and what you learned from it. This teaches children that mistakes are a normal part of learning and helps reduce the fear of getting things wrong.

Need more than homework help? Camp Homework is here to support confidence, focus, and stronger learning habits every step of the way.

Is Your Kid Actually Ready for the Grade Ahead? (Most Parents Guess Wrong)

It's still summer — but here's an uncomfortable truth: by the time you get the "how was the first week?" email from the teacher, it's already too late to catch a gap quietly. The families who walk into September confident aren't the lucky ones. They're the ones who checked now, while there's still time to fix anything before it snowballs.

Here's the thing most parents don't realize: what counts as "ready" for a grade changes every few years as curriculum shifts. That checklist from your older kid's first-grade year? Already outdated. Third grade quietly flips from learning to read to reading to learn — a bigger leap than it sounds. Sixth grade hands your kid a locker, six teachers, and zero hand-holding overnight. Ninth grade counts, for real, toward a transcript colleges will actually see.

So — is your child ready? There's a full checklist for every single grade, K through senior year, showing exactly what teachers expect walking in on day one, plus a fast catch-up plan if they're not quite there. Two minutes to check. Could save you a rough October.

Check Your Child's Grade-Level Readiness →

Not sure where your child actually stands, or want more than a checklist — a real plan? Camp Homework pairs K–12 students with real human tutors for reading, math, and study skills. Plans start at $150/month.

Get Your Child a Tutor at Camp Homework →

When: Wednesday, July 29 – Saturday, August 8 Where: Drake Stadium, MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, Wellmark YMCA, and other metro venues What: The largest multi-sport event for youth in the U.S. lands in Des Moines, bringing 14,000+ athletes to compete in everything from track and field to swimming to karate. Many events are free to watch — a great, inspiring way to spend an afternoon.

When: Tuesday, July 28 – Sunday, August 2 Where: Principal Park, Downtown Des Moines What: The I-Cubs host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders all week. Tuesday is Dog Days (bring your pup!), and Friday's Backyard Baseball Night wraps up with postgame fireworks.

When: Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 2 Where: Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater, St. Charles (about 30 minutes south of Des Moines) What: One of the Midwest's best-loved music festivals returns with a huge lineup — KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons, Kali Uchis, and more — plus art installations, craft vendors, and camping.

Small & Local Favorites

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Thanks for starting the week with us, Des Moines. See you Thursday! 🌱

— Alex | Des Moines Digest 📘
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